


Facing the Bullets

by Mrs_Stiltskin (Lady_Belles_Teacup)



Series: Not Just Another Wedding [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 12:51:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17386790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Belles_Teacup/pseuds/Mrs_Stiltskin
Summary: aaand...The awkward brunch! Here is the second part of that prompt fill.*Stefon Voice* This one has it all folks: Neal being embarrassed by Gold! Neal being embarrassed by Belle! Ruby and Belle getting dirty looks for discussing sex at the table! Gold being a Good Dad and yet still making Neal squirm! Belle being congratulated on getting laid!Silly and fluffy. I'll get at least one more little one shot out of this... feel free to prompt this verse on tumblr!





	Facing the Bullets

Belle and Gold entered the room to a raucous eruption of cheers and laughter, glasses held high and whoops as loud as the ones for the newlyweds themselves. Belle would have felt badly about upstaging the guests of honor if Ariel and Eric hadn’t been two of the most cheerfully enthusiastic among the crowd. She ducked her head, heat rushing to her cheeks, a nervous giggle bubbling out of her. The thought of turning around and scurrying from the room filling her head until she felt Lachlan give her hand an encouraging squeeze. 

He was right here, enduring the same embarrassment with good cheer, and it felt more than perfect to have his solid presence beside her, his hand warm in hers. Finding confidence together as they found their seats. Of course they had been seated together, with Neal beside Gold and Ruby next to her, for maximum hazing, she was certain. 

“Are you doing all right?” Gold asked when they were settled, mimosas in hand, half the table already up and ravaging the buffet. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, his dark eyes flickering over her in concern even as an amused and crooked half-smile played about his lips.

“Well, Ruby’s been giving me the side-eye.” Belle took a sip of mimosa, the dry champagne fizz tickling her nose pleasantly. “I’m sure she’s dying to know  _ everything _ , and Neal’s been watching you like a hawk, but I think everyone else is over the novelty and back to focusing on the newlyweds. So, all in all, I’m ok. You?”

Gold nodded, tossing back his long hair. “I can feel Neal next to me wanting to give me what-for, but so far, so good.” He gave her a filthy grin, “Besides, I’m still preening about showing up with the most beautiful woman here on  _ my _ arm. I am more than good, I assure you.”

Belle blushed and ducked her head, a coy smile hidden behind her chestnut curls. She thought it might take a very long time indeed to grow tired of him telling her she was beautiful. Years, probably. She was beginning to hope she might get the chance to put that theory to the test.

“Hey, can you two keep it in your pants for five minutes, please.” Neal dropped into the seat next to Gold, and Belle got up, placing her napkin on her chair.

“Hi, Neal. I’m gonna go find something to eat while you two make peace. Be right back.” She gave Neal her brightest smile, but his was tight, and she could hear him hissing at his father as she made her way to the buffet.

“She’s half your age, Pops,” Neal bit out, shaking his head and poking at the food on his plate with his fork. 

“We are both aware,” Gold answered quietly, not looking at his son, but staring down at the stem of his champagne flute as he twisted it in his fingers. “If it doesn’t bother either of us, why is it such an issue for you?” Belle could still hear them, though she tried to move further down the line. She didn’t want to eavesdrop, but she had to admit to herself that she was interested in what they were saying. In Gold’s answers especially. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

“I’m older than she is!” Neal insisted, sounding like he wanted to pound his fist on the table. Belle cringed at his heated words, her skin prickling with anxiety, but Gold had no trouble maintaining his soft, reasonable tone.   


“I get it, Neal.” Gold half-turned to meet his gaze, and it was Neal who dropped his eyes to stare at his plate. “She’s young and so very lovely. What could she possibly want with an older man who hobbles around with a cane and isn’t much to look at? I don’t know the answer to that, son, but for the first time in a very long time, I want to take a chance and find out.” His voice was steady, but Belle saw him clutching the handle of his cane, knuckles white. Her stomach gave a pleasant little flip, her nerves dissipating somewhat. If he gave her a chance, she’d show him exactly what she wanted with him, and precisely how attractive she found him. She shot daggers into Neal’s back for putting such thoughts in his head.

“That’s not what I meant,” Neal shot back, his voice gentling as he spoke. “She’s my friend, and you’re my father. I just don’t want either of you getting hurt.”

“I told you, Neal. I’m willing to put myself out there and find out if there’s more there than just what was, quite honestly, one of the best nights of my life.” Belle flushed at his words, a tight knot of pleasure slipping down to settle low in her belly, between her hips. She wholeheartedly agreed with him.

Neal made a gagging sound. “Oh, gods. Please, never tell me anything about your sex-life.”

Gold gave Neal’s hair a playful tousle and Neal ducked away, scowling. “Then stop sticking your nose into private broom cupboards and lecturing me about my choice of partner.” Gold put his cane under him and pushed to his feet. “Now, all that vigorous activity has me quite famished. I’m going to find the food. After all, a man needs his all his strength and stamina to please a much younger woman, so I’d better get on it.”

“Jesus, Papa...” Neal practically banged his head on the table, retching. Gold just chuckled quietly, his eyes finding hers and then darting away, his cheeks coloring to a warm pink to think she might have overheard them. Belle snickered to herself. His sardonic wit was one of the things she was very quickly falling for, if she was honest with herself, which she was studiously trying not to be.

“Okay, spill it, French.” Ruby shoved into line beside her, jostling Ashley Boyd aside and earning a dirty look from the sour-faced, blonde woman.

“Spill what?” Belle feigned innocence, picking up a tiny quiche lorraine tartlet and adding it to her plate beside the fresh fruit salad and smoked salmon she had already acquired.

“You know what! Don’t even try, missy. Everyone in this room knows you banged Neal’s dad last night. Now spill the deets, my friend.” Ruby piled green salad and fruit on her plate beside two benedicts with glossy hollandaise and a sprinkle of paprika on top. 

“Ok. Ok. Yes, everyone knows I fucked Gold last night. What exactly do you want to know?” Belle snapped. Ashley rolled her eyes at them and moved on, picking over the potato hash and pretending not to care. Though not far enough to miss what they said, Belle noted.

“I mean, except for a couple of possible girlfriends years ago, you are the only person in living memory besides Neal’s mother to fuck the notorious Mr. Gold, the Beast of Storybrooke. And, from what I hear, she couldn’t get away from him fast enough. So is he really that terrible? Like, totally boring, vanilla, two-minute, missionary fuck?” Ruby licked a blob of the bright yellow sauce from her thumb, and turned wide eyes to Belle. “Or is he a kinky, weirdo bastard? Inquiring minds want to know.”

“Geez, Rubes. Go right for the kill, why don’t you?” Belle picked out some small, bright green olives and a delicious looking deviled egg, then considering, added a second. “Whatever his trouble with the former Mrs. Gold, it wasn’t because he doesn’t know his way around a clit, I will tell you that. And no, he wasn’t super kinky, at least not yet, anyway. I’m holding out hope, though.”

“Well, color me surprised.” Ruby arched an eyebrow at her, scarlet lips pursed. “So… more than one orgasm then?” Belle nodded, blushing. Ruby gave her a feral smile, all sharp, white teeth behind those namesake lips. “More than three?” Belle nodded again, and Ruby’s mouth dropped open, her eyes darting to Mr. Gold and back to Belle. “How many?”

“I lost count after five.” 

“You lost count…” Ruby popped a grape into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. “I’ve never lost count.”

“Me neither,” Belle giggled. “But that man has a silver tongue for more than just deals, Ruby, and extremely talented fingers. He played me like Earl Scruggs on the fucking banjo.”

Ruby plopped into her chair, lips turned into a pout. “Completely unfair. I mean, who’d have thought?” 

Ariel slipped into Gold’s seat, wrapping her arms around Belle in a big hug. “Who’d have thought what?

“Belle lost count of how many…  _ jackpots _ she hit last night,” Ruby whispered. Ariel’s eyes bulged and she sniggered into her hand.

“Wow! You go Belle…rowr.”

“I can hear you,” Neal muttered. “And don’t think I don’t know what you mean by  _ jackpots _ . So, if you all could just stop now. It is my dad you’re talking about, you know. And I’m trying to eat.” He shuddered, poking his fork into a pile of scrambled eggs.

“It’s a compliment, Neal,” Ruby snapped, and Ariel nodded. “From the sounds of it, Emma should be so lucky if he taught you a thing or two.”

“Ruby!” Belle gave her a shove and she turned to her food, muttering a half-hearted apology.

“Well, I’m happy for you, Belle,” Ariel gave her another hug. “It’s about time you find somebody that makes you  _ happy _ .”

“I’m sorry we kind of made a scene on your big day,” Belle apologized. “I hope we didn’t mess it up too much for you.”

Ariel waved her off with a dismissive gesture. “You know what they say, every wedding story needs a memorable detail! That’s ours… sweet, innocent Belle and Neal’s dad shagging in the broom closet!” Ariel was positively howling as she made her way back to Eric.

Neal groaned again, pointedly not looking at her over his father’s empty seat.

“Sorry, Neal,” Belle offered. “But I’m actually kind of mad you never told me your father was a genuine silver fox. In my defence, I didn’t connect the dots that he was your dad until after we’d already spent some time in the broom closet.”

“And yet…here we are.”

“Well, it was perhaps a bit late by then…”

“Why’s that? No. No. Do not tell me. Don’t.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking off his discomfort. “Look, I love you. You’re one of my really good friends, and he’s my father. I’ve witnessed the fallout from your last couple of disaster relationships, and let’s face it, my mother really did a number on him. His last couple of girlfriends were no better, either. They were only in it for his money and power.”

“Well, then you should be thrilled. I’m definitely not it for the money.” Belle waggled her eyebrows at him, stifling a giggle by popping an olive into her mouth. Neal narrowed his eyes at her, his lip curling in revulsion.

“Belle…”

“Oh, come on, Neal, grow up,” she snickered, “I’m just teasing you.”

“No, you’re not,” he huffed. “I heard you talking to Ruby and Ariel. And I am a grown-up, but thinking about him…and you…” He waved his hands back and forth, gesticulating. “I just can’t, ok?”

Belle reached out and put a hand on his forearm, and he reluctantly met her eyes. “Hey, I am just kidding. I like him, Neal. It’s more than just a physical thing. I really like  _ him _ . He’s exactly my type - smart, funny, well-read, forward-thinking and yet oddly old-fashioned, it’s very sweet, really. And I daresay he’s a hopeless romantic.”

“He is, and that’s what’s got him in trouble in the past. But he’s so much  _ older _ than you.”

Belle leaned toward him conspiratorially, whispering in his ear. “I’ve always kind of had, well, a  _ thing _ , for older men. Teachers, professors…whatever. It’s pretty much why my last two relationships fizzled out. I just wasn’t  _ satisfied _ with guys my age.” Belle gave him a helpless little shrug, laughing at his sour face. Like he’d just eaten a lemon.

“Ugh. Ok. Ok. Enough. No more. I’m convinced.”

“Aren’t you happy I’m not a gold-digger, just out for his cash? It’s me,  _ Belle _ . You know me, Neal.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed.

“I’m not unhappy… and you’re right, maybe you two are perfect for each other. Two hopeless romantics finding each other from different walks of life.” 

Belle grinned widely at him and he returned it with a resigned nod behind his father’s back as Gold sat down, setting a plate laden with scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes in front of him, and propping his cane beside him. 

“Everyone getting along?” Gold asked, pouring sticky, golden syrup over everything on his plate and tucking in to his eggs with a hum of approval. Ruby snickered quietly, and Belle gave her an elbow to the ribs. Ruby only laughed harder and wandered off to talk with Mary-Margaret and Ashley, who were still glancing at Belle and Gold with dark looks of sullen disapproval. Neal grunted his assent, not taking his eyes off his plate. Belle merely nodded and gave him a bright smile before changing the topic. Before long she found a way to draw Neal into the conversation, Gold beaming at her with warm appreciation shining in his dark eyes. She had perhaps won his son over to their cause? Soon the three of them were lost in conversation, laughing and talking as though nothing awkward had ever taken place. 

#

“I hope Neal wasn’t too hard on you,” Gold offered as they strolled down the Boston sidewalk hand-in-hand, past store windows and coffee shops. Belle needed to drive back to Storybrooke, but she was reluctant to leave and break the quiet spell that had been building between them.

“He was fine,” she assured him. “He just loves you and wants you to be happy.”

“Then why was he being horrible to the beautiful woman making me just that?” He lifted their hands and pressed a kiss to the back of hers.

“Because he’s worried you’ll get hurt,” Belle answered. “He mentioned his mother and some ex-girlfriends who may have been less than ideal treating you poorly, but he seems to be warming up to the idea.” 

“Because you’re brilliant, and even he can’t deny it.” He stopped, turning to cup her cheek, one of his charming, little half-smiles quirking his lips. “I just watched you turn him right around and make him forget he was ever even troubled. Magnificent. You should have been a lawyer.” Gold’s eyes flicked hungrily between her eyes and her lips, maneuvering them until she found her back against the bricks in a somewhat secluded alley between a kitschy boutique and a tiny bookshop. 

Belle reached out to run her fingers up and down his tie, giving it just the slightest tug to bring his lips down on hers. Gold’s mouth was soft and warm as she lost herself in his embrace. His kiss a seduction all it’s own, so much sensuality in the way he savored the play of lips and teeth, plucking and biting at her, tongue darting out to taste her and play across her palate. He opened for her, inviting her to explore his mouth, sucking gently on her tongue when she did, and encouraging her to do the same to him.

He was already half-hard against her thigh, but he didn’t seek to rub himself against her, he merely rested there, both of them breathing hard as they pulled apart. Belle’s fingers carded through the silky ends of his hair, and Gold swallowed hard, closing his eyes and letting his forehead rest gently against hers.

“I’m going to miss you,” he whispered, and Belle’s heart leapt in her chest. She smiled, opening her eyes and glancing up into his dark and sparkling ones. He watched her, for a moment, his gaze lingering, burning with sincerity.

“I’m gonna miss you, too, I think.” Belle admitted, biting her lower lip. Lachlan’s eyes dropped to her lips, his own quirking into a little smile.

“You think? Is there something more I can do to convince you?” He leaned in, sipping little kisses from her lips, trailing them down her neck, and worrying the skin over her pulse point hard enough to leave a mark. Not that she minded. She would wear his mark with private glee. Perhaps she’d give him one to match. Belle gasped, his fingers trailing over her hips and up over her ribs, his fingers digging in and making her erupt with giggles.

“Not fair!” she wriggled, breathless under his relentless tickling. “I will… I will… definitely miss you!”

Gold relented, his smug grin pressed to her neck while she clutched him close. “Are you certain you won’t have Dove drive you back to Storybrooke?”

“Lachlan…”

“I’m sorry...I’m sorry…I just worry...”

“Ruby and I are driving together, and I have managed all this time on my own,” Belle admonished gently.

“I know, you’re right, sweetheart. I admire and value your independence.” He gave her a sheepish grin, and she just shook her head. Gold was sweet and thoughtful, but she also valued her independence and didn’t want to compromise that for anything. “Call me when you get home, and are safe in your bed?”

“Deal.”   


#

The drive back to Storybrooke with Ruby was full of chatter and car karaoke and Ruby trying ineffectually to pry more salacious details from Belle’s tight lips. Belle only offered an enigmatic smile and turned up the radio, to the brunette’s obvious frustration. 

“You are going to see him again, though, right?” Ruby asked, buffing her scarlet nails, feet resting casually on the dashboard. “I mean, you and the beast of Storybrooke are definitely going to be a thing.”

“I certainly hope so, Rubes,” Belle mused, nudging Ruby’s booted foot off her a/c vent. “And please stop calling him that. He’s not a beast.”

“That’s not what I heard…” Ruby waggled her eyebrows and Belle snickered.

“I think I’m falling for him,” Belle mused, putting on her blinker and checking the rearview before changing lanes. She sighed heavily. “I hope I’m not putting myself out there for someone who’s not as into me as I am into him.”

Ruby gaped at her. “Ah, honey, you definitely don’t need to worry about that.” 

“Why not?”

“Because he spent the entire brunch today watching you like he wished you were the main course on that buffet table.” Ruby shot her a toothy smile, scarlet lips wide with amusement. “He couldn’t take his eyes off you, Belles.”

Belle grinned, and Ruby dissolved into laughter, shaking her head.


End file.
